Pollen
[: Micro gametophytes (pollen grains]

The yellow (insert expletive here) fines to coarse powders you see in the air is made up of small sperm cells from blooming plants and are one of the most common allergy triggers. The pollen from trees are the main concern, vehicles get hit with pollen laced trees that include: oak, western red cedar, elm, birch, ash, hickory, polar, sycamore, maple, cypress and walnut (which also leaves an oily residue). Pollen grains of pines, firs, and spruces are winged.
Pollen must be strong to protect the male gametes on their journey. The outer wall of the pollen grain, called the exine, is composed of a very unusual substance called sporopollenin which is very tough.

The inner layer is made of cellulose and is similar in construction to an ordinary plant cell wall; pollen will literally ‘wear’ away wax or polymer sealants. Pollen isn't removed by air friction as you drive because it adheres to a surface with microscopic barbs that can attach to even a very slightly uneven surface, and adheres to a natural wax better than a synthetic polymer

As well as being allergic pollen is also very abrasive (due to its exine or barbs) and slightly acidic dust, especially when mixed with moisture and should therefore be removed from paint surfaces as soon as is practicable.

Heavy Dust
To remove heavy pollen dust (do not use a California Duster as the pollen exine (barbs) will cause surface marring) instead use Optimum (OPT) No Rinse Wash™ & Shine New Formula (ONR) a quick ‘wash’; formulated with surfactants to keep dirt in suspension, avoiding surface contact, it also provides surface lubrication, thereby avoiding surface marring. Alternatively use Optimum Instant Detailer - this formulation penetrates and encapsulates light dust (pollen) dirt, and grime, allowing for their removal without scratching or dulling the surface. As soon as is practical, thoroughly rinse the vehicle with a hose and clean water to ensure all the pollen is removed.

Light Surface Dust
To remove light, dry surface pollen dust or pollen without causing scratches by applying very little surface pressure, dusting with long strokes in one direction only, use a product that contains a surfactant; this will lessen surface scratching as they ‘lift’ dust etc into the media used avoiding surface friction (use a solution of Optimum™ no-rinse (ONR) diluted 1:20 / distilled water in a fine mist spray bottle) or Optimum ™ Instant Detailer. Do not use on a hot paint surface (soon after driving) as this will cause streaking?

Use a long nap micro fibre towel to ensure the dust lifted from the paint surface will remain in the nap and not on the towel surface thereby causing surface marring. Shake the towel occasionally to ensure any particles picked up will drop out rather than come to the surface while you’re using it.

Notes: Dust build-up-with low humidity conditions and friction on the paint surface will cause static electricity (this is exacerbated by the use of polyester (nylon) Micro fibre) resulting in dust attraction to the paint surface.

It important to use this methodology only for the removal of dry surface dust, don’t use if surface has condensation or dew, or if the vehicle has oily road film, road tar, damp pollen or dust, etc in these instances the vehicle surface should be subjected to a conventional or Optimum (OPT) No Rinse Wash™ & Shine New Formula (ONR) car washing process

No wax or polymer sealant can provide a permanent shield against: Micro gametophytes (pollen) an acrylic polymer like Klasse or Jeff Werkstat resist acid attack better than most. Collinite 845 Insulator Wax is probably the most durable Carnauba wax product and / or Finish Kare FK425 Detailing Spray; are very good sacrificial protections, but these may only provide enough of a barrier to enable it to be removed quickly before causing too much damage to the paint film surface



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Good Info.

 

Interesting. I agree that the California Car Duster does seem to induce marring, at least on my Jaguar paint.

 

I have been preaching this for ohhh sooo many years, the CCD definitely induces marring my tests have proven this.....I actually give a bounty for them, just to rid them from a clients vehicles!!!!

Using a product that is specific for eliminating daily contaminants is key.......mist and wipe products such as Poly's, Blue Mist or Meguiar's Final Inspection are far better for emulsifying, encapsulating and removing these contaminants by utilizing a fluffy clean Micro Fiber towel

Here are some pics of a couple very recent customers that religiously used the Duster. As you can see from the photos, what this has done is create a million v shaped inclusions into the paint which takes away from the overall depth and gloss. Kind of like an older record, if you look at the surface its not reflective like a mirror, the grooves make the surface appear less reflective or distorted. This is exactly what happens to your paint by using this Duster to move around all these contaminants which are as sharp as a kidney stone. Therefore marring the finish to the point where it needs correction by means of polishing....









Now take a look at these shots after the paint was rotary polished to correct the scratches caused by the duster. This technique is very similar to that of a jeweler, remove the least amount of material to correct the defect....No one wants their gold jewelry hacked do you, well neither should your vehicles paint!











Now, all paint should look like this, deep, reflective, shiny and brilliant!